Skip to main content

Visiting the Kasturinagar (KA-03) RTO - a tumultuous but manageable experience to get a Learner's/ Driver's License without an agent/ driving school

Ask anyone, and I can guarantee that they will have a story (and in most cases, many stories) about their trip, or rather, numerous trips to the RTO for something as simple as getting a Learner's License (LL) or a Driver's License (DL). In this blog, I hope to make your life a tad bit easier by guiding you through the entire process, which may seem easy at first but is full of (overcome able) challenges if you know what you are doing.


I turned 18 in January this year, and besides cutting a cake, I worked on my LL application online. I challenged myself to complete the entire LL to DL process by myself and without the help of an agent or a driving school, unlike what the majority do. The lengthy application process and multiple visits to the RTO, impressed upon me why most people decided to pay a little extra to get an agent to do it for them. Still, I was determined not to pay a single rupee more than the official cost. I succeeded. 

Do note that this answer is concerning the Kasturinagar (KA-03) RTO, and although it will be similar in other RTOs too, you can expect minor differences.


Online application #1


  • Start your application online through the Sarathi portal. Select state - apply online - new learner's license
  • Apply for a Learner's License and upload the necessary details and book an appointment. Many articles will guide you through this. This blog includes ONLY handy tips that you may otherwise not know about.
  • Appointment booking in the KA-03 RTO is open only after 8 AM until some time in the evening. I have still not understood the rationale behind this.
  • Getting an appointment in the next 2-3 weeks is hard, so try and book one as early as you can. Pro tip: wait for cancellations and book your slot immediately when slot booking opens (at 8 AM ). By following this, I applied for my LL on the 20th and got a slot for the 24th. Otherwise, one has to wait for 3-4 weeks usually.
  • Carry the original and copies (at least 2-3) of everything you upload.
  • There are irritating size restrictions on the document you have to upload so be sure to follow it. Use online tools to reduce the size of your files. [google document size reducer]

Visit #1 to the RTO


  • Carry all original documents (+ copies), the printed application form (ensure that your signature + photo are pre-filled on the application form), appointment slip etc.
  • Arrive 30-45 minutes before your appointment time to cut down on time spent in queues. Carry the required amount of money to pay the fees if it hasn't been made online yet (the portal never worked for me).
  • Carry two pieces of identification. A mistake I made the first time I went was carrying only my Aadhaar card and its copies. Although by law, they are required to accept it for both address and DOB proof, the RTO did not agree. An RTI I filed clarified that I was right and they were wrong. But what can we do? 
  • Pay the fees. Collect the payment challan.
  • Get your documents verified.
  • Sit for the test. 
  • The test OTP is sent on your registered phone number. This is mentioned nowhere on the website, and I have seen people without their phones not having an opportunity to sit the test because of this. You CANNOT write your test without the OTP that is sent to your phone.
  • You will see your result immediately after you submit the online test.
  • In 1-3 days, you will receive a message saying that your LL number has been generated. You can start driving ONLY after your LL number has been generated. Be sure to attach the L board signs and always go with a licensed driver as per norms! 
  • You can download a copy of your LL from the sarathi portal. Select state- print license details - print learner's license.
  • If you do not get your LL in 1-3 days, go back to the RTO and badger them. Your file has most likely been misplaced but don't worry. They have to, and will find it! 

Online application #2


  • A similar process - go online and follow all the required steps.
  • This can be done only after 30 days. 
  • Appointment slot booking can often take an additional month so be prepared to drive with an LL for at least two months!

Visit #2 to the RTO (very important, many mistakes can be made here)


  • Take all forms and documents as usual.
  • This is mentioned nowhere on the website - carry your vehicle's original RC and pollution certificate, insurance, and copies of the same.
  • Make sure all details on all documents are correct. Our car's registration number was mistyped on the PUC (pollution under control) certificate, so I had to get out of the line, get another PUC test done nearby, get it with the correct registration number, come back and stand in a long line. All documents have to be valid and NOT expired. 
  • Carry an envelope with a stamp and your address written on it for them to post the smart card to you.
  • Pay fees if you have not yet done so.
  • Get all documents checked and get your photo/ signature taken.
  • Wait in the sitting area for your application to reach the top of the pile. You will be bullied and preceded by driving school agents, so don't be scared to be a little aggressive. 
  • Arrange for your vehicle to be present there with valid L boards at the front and back. 
  • During the test, use both indicators and hand signals for turning, starting and stopping.
  • The test is elementary - you have to drive between cones (with signals), park and reverse. There is ample space to park and can be done by an amateur too.
  • The test inspector will also test you on hand signals either before or after the test. 
  • If you pass, the application will be kept by the test inspector. 
  • Your DL number should be generated within 1-3 days. 
  • If it isn't, it means that your application has been misplaced. Go to the RTO and ask them for an update. I did this, and that immediate evening, my DL number was generated. You can start driving by yourself/ without a licensed person ONLY once your DL number is generated. An e-copy of your license can be generated through Digilocker (an app on your phone) which is a valid document proof in case a cop stops you.
  • Track your application online through the Sarathi portal - select state - apply online - application status to see whether your DL smartcard has been dispatched.
  • Often, it is not. Your envelope with stamp goes 'missing'. Go back to the RTO and physically collect it.

Handy tips:


  • Carry plain paper(s) and a pen to write letters on the spot. I had to do this when my DL number wasn't generated.
  • Carry small change for photocopying documents in the shops opposite the RTO.
  • Go with another person who can run around and get stuff done at the last minute while you wait in their never-ending long queues. For example, my mother got the RC and the insurance from the car when I waited in line because I saw other people who had come with agents giving their RC/ insurance/ PUC documents.
  • Carry a phone/ tablet/ laptop/ pen drive to access and retrieve any documents you may have forgotten or not known to print.
  • Get your medical test done by the doctor next to the RTO.
  • They love files. Put your application in a file ALWAYS (for both LL and DL, but more so for your DL).
  • Everything required can be bought in the area - your envelopes, stamp for postage, files etc. There are many shops right opposite the RTO.


Conclusion:


  • You can get all your work done by yourself provided you know the step-by-step process. It is honestly quite easy, but because of the lack of clarity, it is often a frustrating experience, and you will find yourself at the RTO more times than needed.
  • You can effortlessly get your license without an agent/ driving school if you follow these steps. 
  • If you're lazy/ have no time on your hands? More comfortable to pay a few thousand rupees to a driving school/ a little lesser for an agent. 
  • If you are strapped for cash or just don't see the need to spend the extra few bucks, follow these steps, and your experience will be a breeze!




Comments

  1. Good summary...I will vouche for this ..since I also did the same

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you have to submit form 1a (medical certificate from doctor) for DL?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not required, form 1a is for a person with any disabilities or over the age of 40.

      Delete
    2. Thank u so much for the info. Keep doing the same ����

      Delete
  3. To collect the RC card for the new Car, which window at Kasturi Nagar RTO I should visit?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Step by step useful to follow..

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey this is a great detailed write up. The process (experience?) was slightly different for me - took my test last Friday. I stumbled on this blog on the day of the test and manage to get the pollution check since as suggested. Also put the papers in files (I think that worked well).

    Do you remember how long it took for you to get the approval on the site, and subsequently get the license delivered?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

iOS 7 Update for Apple Devices

There is an OS update for iPads, iPhones and iPods (only for some generations). In this update there are many changes. The button on the right side of your iPads and iPhones now can be used to either, lock screen rotation, mute, pause or play your music. Lock Screen: In the older version to unlock the phones/tablet we had to swipe at the bottom part at the screen. Now we can swipe anywhere on the screen. As you can see in the picture, I have circled something at the bottom. If we swipe upwards we get many shortcuts. We can pause, play, change music tracks, increase/decrease volume, put the tablet/phone into airplane mode, Turn On/Off Wifi/Bluetooth/Do Not Disturb Option and mute our device.We can also view the current time in different time zones. The keypad that we see when we unlock the phone is also different.Changing the brightness is also an option.Here is a picture of this shortcut panel and the unlock iPad keypad. Control center Different Keypad in lock screen

Opinion on the Tax Rebate - Budget 2019

Source The Union Budget of India that was presented on Feb 1, 2019 was a populist-vote bank driven one filled with proposals to woo all possible stakeholders who are eligible to vote. Be it farmers, the middle class or the economically stronger ones, all sections of society after a brief glance at the highlights of the budget will be content with what Piyush Goyal has to offer in the sixth and final Budget of this term of the NDA. Although I found many parts of the budget a questionable waste of money to fuel populist schemes, I did enjoy certain parts of it, especially the newly introduced tax rebate. The proposed tax rebate  in which income upto INR 5 lakhs is essentially tax-free is one that I wholly welcome for many reasons. The tax-rebate proposal and terms is something that I welcome unconditionally but the way how the Finance Minister has portrayed income up to INR 6.5 lakhs tax free (with the disclaimer that this is only possible if all the 'right' investments ar

Life during the COVID-19 lockdown

The past three weeks have impacted people around India in different ways. The migrant labourers and daily wage workers have unarguably been affected the worst. It has been an interesting three weeks in which the concept of privilege was spoken about vastly in the media. Even though the salaried middle class is also affected, their lives have been phenomenally better than, for example, those they employ to clean their houses or wash their dishes. It is at times such as these that I realise how lucky a majority of my friends and I are. While most of the country is suffering (suffering in the real sense of not being able to afford and procure three square meals a day and NOT because a shop ran out of imported cheese) in lockdown, my parents could work from home, without intruding into each other’s personal space and could carry out some, if not most of their work from the comfort of their house, unlike the majority of the country. I have been reading articles about the shortfalls of in

The Road to Sciences Po - Application to Acceptance to Admitted Students' Day

Sciences Po has been my dream college since tenth grade. I made a radical shift in the first half of tenth grade and decided to drop culinary arts as my career choice and focus on politics and international relations. Sciences Po was the obvious choice.  What made Sciences Po lucrative in the eyes of an Indian (international) student like me? Their interdisciplinary program that does not restrict you to just Politics/ IR/ Economics/ Sociology etc. I have to choose my major in my third semester which gives me time to experience the different fields and make a suitable choice, Their teaching methodologies (seminars/ lectures, civic projects, small-sized classrooms for discussions etc.) All English courses - I must specify this because not all universities In France/ Europe teach in English. Even in Sciences Po, only 3 out of their seven regional campuses teach in English at the UG level. The mandatory third year abroad at one of their 470 odd partner universities which

Paneer

In the past few months I have started to enjoy cooking. With one of my favourite ingredients, Paneer I created my own dish. Here is the recipe: Ingredients: Paneer  Coriander Leaves Salt Pepper Oil (Preferably Olive Oil) How To Make It: Cut the paneer into small pieces to get small cubes. On a frying pan shallow fry the paneer to get a light brown colour. Put it into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. You can add the coriander leaves as dressing or for a light flovour of herbs. Serve it HOT. Variations: You can also add some lemon juice for tanginess. Coming soon- a tasty recipe that uses brinjal!

The Difficulty of Equal Justice: a talk at the Bangalore International Centre

It was a delight to attend a very informative talk on the legal aid and the criminal justice system at the Bangalore International Centre , last Thursday. The panellists were eminent leaders in the domain, both nationally and locally in Bangalore; Justice (Retd.) Madan B Lokur , Prof. Vijay Raghavan, Aarti Mundkur, Dr. Anup Surendranath and Monica Sakhrani. Scroll down to the Too Long; Didn't Read (TL;DR) section if you're short on time, to get a gist of the article. It includes my personal opinions too, so don't  give it a skip even if you read the entire article! The talk began with Justice Lokur explaining his concerns with the access and quality of legal aid provided to under-trials. He said that often, prisoners do not even know the status of their case because of the weak communication between legal aid lawyers and the under-trial. A report highlighting such problems that was submitted to the SC by Dr. Anup and his team has not been addressed and the debate